Minimizing H <sub>2</sub> O <sub>2</sub> Loss in Industrial Electrosynthesis via Asymmetric Main‐Group Sn Single‐Atom Catalysts
The electrosynthesis of hydrogen peroxide (H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub>) via the two-electron oxygen reduction reaction offers an appealing and sustainable route for on-site H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub> production. However, its broader applicability is constrained by subpar yields, primarily resulting from insufficient selectivity and the occurrence of electrochemical and/or chemical decomposition of H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub>. Herein, we demonstrate that asymmetric N/S co-coordinated main-group Sn sites can effectively stabilize oxygen intermediates and rapidly desorb the generated H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub>, thereby enhancing 2e<sup>-</sup> ORR pathway selectivity while suppressing undesirable H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub> decomposition reactions. At an industrially relevant current density of 300 mA cm<sup>-2</sup>, the main-group catalyst achieves an exceptional H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub> faradaic efficiency of 93%. When scaled to an industrial sized area of 100 cm<sup>2</sup>, the pilot reactor delivers an impressive H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub> production rate of 353.5 mmol h<sup>-1</sup> at 20 A. In situ characterizations and theoretical simulations reveal that the main-group Sn sites exhibit inertness toward activation of H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub>, thereby mitigating H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub> loss in electrosynthesis. The asymmetric N/S-coordination enhances electron transfer between the Sn center and oxygen intermediates, stabilizing the *OOH intermediate and facilitating H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub> generation. This work presents a promising strategy for minimizing H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub> loss in electrochemical production via the rational design of main-group catalysts with well-defined coordination and electronic structures.
Authors
- Peng Xu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4268-4976)
- Yuen Shing Wu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9524-2843)
- Xin Zhou (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8516-2142)
- Chao-Hai Gu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8109-5464)
- H. Li (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9039-6747)
- Cai Chen (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7596-6307)
- Yuan Min
- Yi Song (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8656-5314)
- H.-C Yu
- Jie‐Jie Chen
Institutions
- University of Science and Technology of China (CN)
- Southwest Petroleum University (CN)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Angewandte Chemie International Edition
- Published
- 2026-01-20
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1002/anie.202523314
- Primary Topic
- Electrocatalysts for Energy Conversion
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00